Author Archive

Philadelphia Phillies Need Their Bats To Wake Up For Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels is back. The World Series MVP we had come to know and love is pitching the way we know he can. There is no more of that mental crap from last year. He has been on fire. His stats show that—well, at least in every category except wins.

This season, Hamels has an ERA of 3.33 going along with 157 strikeouts (good for eighth in Major League Baseball), but somehow, he is 7-9. The Phillies just don’t seem to score when Hamels is on the mound. He hasn’t had a win since July 11th. In his last two starts, he has gone seven or more innings and given up one run, in losing efforts. It is ridiculous.

This is inexcusable by the Phillies. They will score ten runs in games in which Kyle Kendrick or Joe Blanton pitch, but none whenever Hamels pitches a gem. To put it in perspective, Kendrick and Hamels have the same number of wins, while Hamels has an ERA 1.27 points better than Kendrick’s. It disgusts me.

The Phillies are in an unfamiliar place this year. They’re not six games up in the division—they’re two games back. They need to be clicking on all cylinders to win the NL East. That includes winning for Cole Hamels. If the Phils had managed just two runs in Cole’s last two starts, they would be tied for the division lead. These losses can come back to bite them.

And if this team makes the postseason, what are they going to do averaging one run for this guy? The Phillies need to play their absolute best baseball in the postseason if they want to be in the hunt for the pennant.

An ace is no use if he has no run support. It is time for the Phils to wake up and score this guy some runs. 

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Why Jayson Isn’t Werth a Mega Contract

When free agency begins, many Phillies fans will be interested in what happens to outfielder Jayson Werth. Werth has been a key bat in the Phillies’ lineup and a very good defensive outfielder for years now. He is in his contract year.

Many teams will be interested in Werth, and for good reason. In his career in Philadelphia, Jayson has hit .283, with 83 homers, and 271 RBI. While those stats look great on paper, there is more than meets the eye.

Since coming to Philly, he has hit behind some of the best hitters in the game. He has been featured in the same lineup as Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard. The three of them have combined for 11 all star appearances, six silver sluggers, and two MVPs. He is in pretty good company.

Werth has never been “The Guy.” He simply has never had to be. He has had the luxury of playing with Hall of Fame-caliber players. He has been a very, very good player, but he’s never had to carry a team on his back. That should be a cause for concern for certain teams.

The worst situation would be this: a non-contender signs Werth to a huge contract, expecting him to be their superstar. He won’t be able to do that. Jayson needs other players around him for him to play the best baseball he can.

The Phillies are in a pretty tough situation with him. He is a very important player to them, but he won’t be worth the money he will demand. And the Fightins do have Dominic Brown, who they plan to have patrolling right field for years to come. Brown has looked pretty good in his first few games. It just doesn’t seem very likely that Jayson will be with the Phillies in 2011. 

Jayson’s free agent experience will end in one of two ways, either a key asset to a contender, or a disaster to a bad team. It would be in his best interest to stay with the Phils, but chances are he will go for the money and leave Philadelphia.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Copyright © 1996-2010 Kuzul. All rights reserved.
iDream theme by Templates Next | Powered by WordPress